Process of separating solid material held in suspension by air-currents.



No. 845,563. PATENTED EEB. 26, 1907. A. yLOTZ. PROCESS OE SEPARATING SOLID MATERIAL HELD IN SUSPENSION i BY AIR GURRENTS.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 14. 1904.

l UNITED sTArns PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS LOTZ, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASS'IGN OR TO SANITARY DEVICES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS F SEPARATING SOLID MATERIAL HELD IN SUSPENSION BY AIRCURRENTS.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed November 14, 1904. Serial No. 232,660.

To all 1.0710111/ it Tmty/ concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS Lo'rz, a citi.

zen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco I and State of California,"have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Separating Solid Material Held in Suspension by Air-Currents`, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to processes for the purifying of dust-laden air, and is designed and specially adopted for the cleaning of the air discharged from pneumatic carpet-cleaning apparatus after it has been freed of the heavier particles by dry precipitation in a gravity-separator.

To this end my invention consists generally in propelling the air at great velocity through a narrow conduit, in introducing into said confined and swiftly-moving current a water spray or vapor, and by means of the frictional contact of the fluids with their confn` ing walls to so thoroughly lcommingle them that practically all the dust particles are moistened by the water, so as to be precipitated from the air when discharged from confinement.

It further consists inf utilizing the force of the air-current to atomize the water and entrain its vapor and in deiecting the further course of the current to render most effective the frictional action. y

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, I show an appara-` tus designed to carry out my improved process, and in connection with the description of said apparatus I set frth the steps of my process.

In the drawings, Figure l1 is a longitudinal section; and Fig. 2 is a top plan view,`partly broken away, of the apparatus; and Fi .Bis a vertical cross-section ,of the atomizing evice.

The numeral 8 indicates a pipe through which the air to be purified is brought into the apparatus. This pipe has a reduced noz, zle 12, which enters the casing 13 and extends into close proximity to the open end of the pipe 10, leading from said casing. vThis casing has a vertical partition 14, as shown in 5o Fig. 3, and aremovable bottom plug 13, by

means of-which the casin can be cleaned.

water-pipe 15, connecte with any suitable f source of supply, is' adapted to convey water `into the casing, entering on the .opposite side of the partition 14 from the air-pipe, whence it lmust descend and pass under the partition 14 to rise into contact with the nozzle 12. The casing therefore constitutes a pocket or i vwell for the holdingl of a supply of water for the purposes hereinafter described. The pipel() leads l toandconnects with a casing 16,

aving an inclined diaphragm or partition 17 arranged in front of the outlet of the pipe 10 and a superposed dome-shaped chamber 18, preferably of'glass for convenience in ob'- Lserving the working of the apparatus. A

vertical tube '19, extending through and projecting above and below the partition 17, connects the dome 18 with the lower part of the casing, and a pipe 22 serves as an outlet for delivery of the air-current to any suitable intermediate receptacle or directly to a vacnum-pump.

The method of operation of the described apparatus lis as follows: Water being admitted through the pipe 15 to the pocket or well 13, so that it rises into close proximity to or contact with the pipe 12, the cleaning apparatus is set in operation, whereby dustladen air is delivered through the series of pipes 8, 12, and 10 at great velocity. The

ipe 12 serves as an' ejector, whereby the passing current of air atomizes the'waterin the well, and the waterI and dust-laden air then passthrough thepipe 10 upward and over the deilecting-plate 17 into thedome 18. By reason of the deiiecting-pl ate, abrupt changes of direction of the current, r`and frictional contactwith the confining-walls a violent regurgitation takesplace in the dome 18,'so that the water and dust-laden air become intimately commingled, whereby the suspended dust particles are moistened by andentrained in the water. The commingled stream then passes down the pipe 19 into the bottom of the casing 16, thence through the pipe 22, from which the dust-'laden water is discharged separated from the purified air.

I claim-4F 1. The process .of cleansing dust-laden air which consists in 'supplying water to a narrow air-conduit, causing a current of dustlazden air to passthrough said conduit with such velocity as to entrain and atomize the water supplied, comminglin the dust-laden air and atomized Water, whereby the dust particles are separated from the` air and entraned" Ain 'the water, carrying away the air IOO in a purified condition and discharging the dust-laden water.

2. The process of cleansing dust-laden air which consists in supplying water to a nar- 5 row air-conduit, forcing a current of dustladen air through said conduit at such hi Vh velocity that it will entrain and atomize t e inl'iowing water, and then directin the current against fixed obstacles and eecting- Walls whereby the atoinized water and dustladen air are thoroughly intermingled and the suspended dust particles are Irioi'stened and precipitated.

3. The method of separating solid matter I5 held in suspension in a current of air, consisting in forcing such air at high velocity through a narrow tortuous conduit, admitting water to said conduit and causing the air-current to entrain the inllowing water and carry it forward through the tortuous passage so as to violently commingle it with the air and precipitate and carry orf from the air the soli d niatterin suspension.

In testimony whereof I. have affixed my signature, in presence ofy two witnesses, this 25 19th day of July, 1904.

AUGUSTUS LOTZ.

Witnesses:

L. W. SEELY, R. SEELY, 

